Gómez González de Manzanedo
Encyclopedia
Gómez González de Manzanedo (died 12 October 1182) was a Castilian
magnate who governed Calahorra
and defended the border with Navarre
in the 1150s and 1160s. He spent three periods in the neighbouring Kingdom of León
.
Gómez's parentage is unknown. That he was the son of Gonzalo Ruiz
, as has been suggested, is unlikely on chronologically grounds (Gonzalo outlived him by twenty-three years). He may have been the son of a man named Gonzalo Gómez. Sometime before May 1162 Gómez married a woman named Amilia (Milia/Melia), possibly the daughter of Pedro González de Lara
and Eva or perhaps the same person as Mayor, daughter of Manrique Pérez de Lara
and Ermessinde of Narbonne. His wife was still living in May 1182, months before his own death. Their children were Diego, Elvira, Gil, Gonzalo, Inés, Juan, Manrique, and Jimena, who married Pedro Fernández de Castro
.
Gómez is first mentioned in a document of 9 November 1148, during the reign of Alfonso VII. In 1155 he was given the tenencia of Paredes
to govern. Between June 1155 and August 1156 he served Sancho III
, then ruling part of Castile from Nájera
, as alférez
, a post typically reserved for younger noblemen. He was promoted to the office of majordomo by March 1157. After the death of Alfonso VII in August 1157, Sancho, then ruling all of Castile, appointed Gómez to govern the Liébana
in northwestern Castile, which he did until 1170. In March 1158 he was appointed to govern Calahorra
, an important city in eastern Castile, which he held as late as 1171. In July 1158 he lost the post of majordomo and was appointed alférez again. That fall he defended Calahorra from the incursions of Sancho VI of Navarre
.
There is some confusion regarding Gómez's whereabouts after Sancho's death on 31 August 1158. He held the tenencia of Pernía in Castile between 1162 and 1164. After that a certain Gómez González, called castellanus ("the Castilian"), entered the service of Ferdinand II of León
, whom he served as majordomo from October 1164 to July 1165. This is probably the Gómez who had served Sancho in the same capacity, but there was another Gómez González who regularly attended the court of Alfonso VIII of Castile
during this same year.
By October 1165 Gómez had returned to Castile, where he was granted the tenencias of Baró and Cereceda, the latter which he retained until 1169. In 1168 he was granted the tenencias of Abba Alua (unidentified), Villafranca
, and Campo
(held into 1172). That year he made a donation to the Knights Hospitaller
. By 28 December 1169 Gómez had attained the rank of count
, the highest in the kingdom of Castile. In 1172 he was governing the Asturias de Santillana, the eastern half of the Asturias, allocated to Castile by Alfonso VII, as well as Cervera
, Mudá
, and Piedras Negras
. In April 1173 the former majordomo of Sancho was appointed majordomo by Alfonso, but at the time he appears to have been in Galicia, where between March and November that year he was governing Monforte de Lemos
and Monterroso
. He appears to have returned to León in August 1180 and remained there until March 1181. He is last mentioned in a Castilian document of 9 September 1181, over a year before his reported death. A charter from 1184 claims to record a donation of Gómez to San Salvador de Oña
.
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
magnate who governed Calahorra
Calahorra
Calahorra, , La Rioja, Spain is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris.-Location:...
and defended the border with Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
in the 1150s and 1160s. He spent three periods in the neighbouring Kingdom of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
.
Gómez's parentage is unknown. That he was the son of Gonzalo Ruiz
Gonzalo Ruiz
Gonzalo Ruiz or Rodríguez was the ruler of La Bureba throughout much of the mid-twelfth century. He held important positions at the courts of successive Castilian monarchs and guarded the frontier with Navarre, to whose Jiménez rulers he was related...
, as has been suggested, is unlikely on chronologically grounds (Gonzalo outlived him by twenty-three years). He may have been the son of a man named Gonzalo Gómez. Sometime before May 1162 Gómez married a woman named Amilia (Milia/Melia), possibly the daughter of Pedro González de Lara
Pedro González de Lara
Pedro González de Lara was a Castilian magnate. He served Alfonso VI as a young man, and later became the lover of Alfonso's heiress, Queen Urraca. He may have joined the First Crusade in the following of Raymond IV of Toulouse, earning the nickname el Romero...
and Eva or perhaps the same person as Mayor, daughter of Manrique Pérez de Lara
Manrique Pérez de Lara
Manrique Pérez de Lara was a magnate of the Kingdom of Castile and its regent from 1158 until his death. He was one of the most important counsellors and generals of three successive Castilian monarchs: Alfonso VII , Sancho III and Alfonso VIII...
and Ermessinde of Narbonne. His wife was still living in May 1182, months before his own death. Their children were Diego, Elvira, Gil, Gonzalo, Inés, Juan, Manrique, and Jimena, who married Pedro Fernández de Castro
Pedro Fernández de Castro
Pedro Fernández de Castro , nicknamed o da Guerra , was a powerful Galician noble and military figure of the House of Castro, descended by illegitimate lines from the kings of Castile-Leon-Galicia...
.
Gómez is first mentioned in a document of 9 November 1148, during the reign of Alfonso VII. In 1155 he was given the tenencia of Paredes
Paredes, Spain
Paredes is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 99....
to govern. Between June 1155 and August 1156 he served Sancho III
Sancho III of Castile
Sancho III was King of Castile and Toledo for one year, from 1157 to 1158. During the Reconquista, in which he took an active part, he founded the Order of Calatrava...
, then ruling part of Castile from Nájera
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
, as alférez
Alférez
Alférez is a junior officer rank also used in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The variant Alferes is used in Portugal and was formerly also used in Brazil. A naval variant, Frigate Alférez, is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru. "Alférez" is often translated as ensign...
, a post typically reserved for younger noblemen. He was promoted to the office of majordomo by March 1157. After the death of Alfonso VII in August 1157, Sancho, then ruling all of Castile, appointed Gómez to govern the Liébana
Liébana
Liébana is a comarca of Cantabria .It covers 570 square kilometers and is located in the southwest of Cantabria, bordering Asturias, León and Palencia...
in northwestern Castile, which he did until 1170. In March 1158 he was appointed to govern Calahorra
Calahorra
Calahorra, , La Rioja, Spain is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris.-Location:...
, an important city in eastern Castile, which he held as late as 1171. In July 1158 he lost the post of majordomo and was appointed alférez again. That fall he defended Calahorra from the incursions of Sancho VI of Navarre
Sancho VI of Navarre
Sancho VI Garcés , called the Wise , was the king of Navarre from 1150 until his death in 1194....
.
There is some confusion regarding Gómez's whereabouts after Sancho's death on 31 August 1158. He held the tenencia of Pernía in Castile between 1162 and 1164. After that a certain Gómez González, called castellanus ("the Castilian"), entered the service of Ferdinand II of León
Ferdinand II of Leon
Ferdinand II was King of León and Galicia from 1157 to his death.-Life:Born in Toledo, Castile, he was the son of King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and of Berenguela, of the House of Barcelona. At his father's death, he received León and Galicia, while his brother Sancho received Castile and...
, whom he served as majordomo from October 1164 to July 1165. This is probably the Gómez who had served Sancho in the same capacity, but there was another Gómez González who regularly attended the court of Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
during this same year.
By October 1165 Gómez had returned to Castile, where he was granted the tenencias of Baró and Cereceda, the latter which he retained until 1169. In 1168 he was granted the tenencias of Abba Alua (unidentified), Villafranca
Villafranca
Villafranca is a town and municipality located in the province and the autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
, and Campo
Campo
Campo is Italian, Portuguese and Spanish for "field".In the city of Venice the word Campo designs a square, regardless of her size; Piazza San Marco is the only exception being the only urban space called a piazza instead of Campo....
(held into 1172). That year he made a donation to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. By 28 December 1169 Gómez had attained the rank of count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
, the highest in the kingdom of Castile. In 1172 he was governing the Asturias de Santillana, the eastern half of the Asturias, allocated to Castile by Alfonso VII, as well as Cervera
Cervera
Cervera is the capital of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The title Compte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Felipe, Prince of Asturias....
, Mudá
Mudá
Mudá is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 105 inhabitants....
, and Piedras Negras
Piedras Negras
Piedras Negras may refer to:* Piedras Negras, Coahuila, a city in northern Mexico* Piedras Negras , an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the present-day Petén department of Guatemala...
. In April 1173 the former majordomo of Sancho was appointed majordomo by Alfonso, but at the time he appears to have been in Galicia, where between March and November that year he was governing Monforte de Lemos
Monforte de Lemos
Monforte de Lemos is a city and municipality in northwestern Spain, in the province of Lugo, Galicia. It covers an area of 200 km² and lies 62 km from Lugo. As of 2005 it had a population of 19,472. It is located in a valley between the shores of Sil River and Miño River, in the area...
and Monterroso
Monterroso
Monterroso is a municipality in Lugo province in Galicia in north-west Spain.-History:Monterroso was the seat of an important tenencia in medieval Galicia...
. He appears to have returned to León in August 1180 and remained there until March 1181. He is last mentioned in a Castilian document of 9 September 1181, over a year before his reported death. A charter from 1184 claims to record a donation of Gómez to San Salvador de Oña
San Salvador de Oña
San Salvador de Oña is a monastery in Oña, in the province of Burgos, central Spain.It was founded in 1011 by Sancho García, count of Castile, for his daughter Tigridia. In 1033 it was assigned to the Cistercian Order. In 1506 it went to the Benedictines of Valladolid. It was damaged during the...
.